Interlocking screw threads



y 1963 F. BROWN ETAL 3,088,404

INTERLOCKING SCREW THREADS Filed Nov. 15, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS FRED BROWN H. J. THOMISZER ATTORN S y 1963 F. BROWN ETAL 3,088,404

INTERLOCKING SCREW THREADS Filed Nov. 15, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q E .THOMISZER BY a2; 7%

ATTOR Y5 United States Patent Ill., assignors, by mesne assignments, to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Filed Nov. 15, 1956, Set. No. 622,511 Claims. Cl. 102-12 The present invention relates to a bomb adapted to be dropped from an aircraft in flight and more particularly to new and improved submissile assemblies for use in a scatter bomb. Moreover, the invention contemplates the provision of a cluster assembly comprising a plurality of miniature missiles having new and improved means for constraining the missiles individually and collectively within the bomb casing and in which the missiles are readily dispersed as the bomb casing is disintegrated by an internal explosion in any conventional manner such, for example, as by a bursting charge. The submissiles are each provided with interlocking means wherein the missiles forming the cluster are locked together within a circular retaining element individually and collectively in such a manner as to prevent longitudinal movement thereof in response to a sudden shock received thereby during handling and transportation, and wherein the inner submissiles of the cluster may be individually rotated to adjust the fore and aft position thereof with respect to the bomb without disassembly of the submissile from the cluster.

An object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved submissile assembly suitable for use with an aerial launched scatter bomb Another object of the invention is the provision of a miniature missile having new and improved means for releasably locking a number of miniature missiles together individually and collectively.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a submissile cluster wherein means are provided for rotation and alignment of the individual submissiles forming the cluster without disassembly of the cluster and which prevents accidental displacement of the missiles in response to sudden shocks.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of constraining means for a cluster of submissiles arranged within a carrier missile whereupon the inner submissiles of the cluster are maintained rigidly fixed with respect to the submissiles at the outer periphery of the cluster Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevation view of a cluster bomb partially in elevation and partially in section illustrating a plurality of submissile clusters arranged therein and constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged View of the submissiles in a constrained and interlocked status;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged elevation view of one of the submissiles constructed in accordance with the present in vention;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of a submissile supporting ring in an unlocked condition;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 with the submissile supporting ring in a locked condition; and

'FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, the numeral 10 generally indicates a carrier missile or bomb comprising a casing 11 composed of thin sheet frangible material such, for example, as aluminum or the like. A plurality of mutually spaced submissile assemblies or clusters generally indicated by the reference character '12 are disposed within the casing 11, each cluster comprising a plurality of submissiles 13 having a casing 14, a slantedly, or obliquely, threaded portion adjacent the nose end 15 as at 16, and a stabilizing fin assembly 17 arranged on the other end thereof. The casing 14 of the aforesaid submissiles are provided with a weakened portion 18, consisting of a number of parallel formed grooves, to cause fragmentation of the submissiles as the conventional bursting charge therein is fired on or near the target, as the case may be.

The aforesaid clusters or banks of submissiles are each provided with a pair of annular supporting rings 19 spaced apart so as to preferably engage the most rearward groove of the weakened casing portion 18 and the most forward thread of threaded casing portion 16 of the peripheral submissiles. The supporting rings are composed of a plurality of segmental elements 21, each of which elements rests upon the inner face of the cylindrical bomb casing 11 thereby being supported in an annular configuration. As shown in FIGS. 5, 6, and 7, a pair of plates 23 are disposed on opposite surfaces of one end of the segmental elements 21 and formed with an inclined wall 24 at the free or terminal ends thereof to provide a substantial V-shaped groove or recess 25 between the plates 23 for locking engagement with a pair of complementary plates 26 carried by the segmental elements, each of the plates 26 being provided with an inclined wall 27 at the free or terminal ends thereof in engagement with the Walls 24 forming the V-shaped recess 25. A pin 28 carried by the plates 23 is adapted to be positioned within a semicircular recess 29 formed in plates 26 for maintaining the aforesaid segmental elements in a locked condition within the bomb casing 11.

As more clearly shown on FIGS. 1 and 3 a plurality of the submissiles are disposed within the segmental supporting rings 19 of each assembly or cluster 12, each submissile being in threaded engagement with its adjacent or neighboring submissile by reason of the aforesaid slanted threaded portion 16 carried thereby, the outermost submissiles of the clusters being in engagement with rings 19 of their respective clusters thereby to effect fore and aft alignment thereof. By this arrangement the submissiles of each cluster are locked individually and collectively against movement with respect to the carrier bomb when the bomb is subjected to sudden shock. It will be noted, FIG. 3, that the threaded portion 16 on the submissile is composed of square type threads, the sides of the threads being parallel and the depth equal to the Width of the space between ribs thereof thereby to provide a positive interlocking connection between the submissile and the adjacent or neighboring submissiles of the cluster when the submissiles are in clustering relationship.

It will now be apparent to one skilled in the art to which the instant invention relates that by this arrangement a unitary and compact cluster bomb assembly is provided, the submissiles thereof being interlocked and confined in such a manner as to prevent fore and aft movement thereof in response to sudden shocks. Additionally the individual inwardly positioned submissiles may be rotated by reason of the interlocking oblique threaded connection therebetween to permit adjustment of the fore and aft position thereof with the aligned outermost submissiles of the cluster without disassembly of the clusters, if desired. It will be understood that the assem blies are constructed and arranged to readily release the submissile as the bomb casing 11 is disintegrated, as by the explosive method disclosed in the copending application 3 of Fred Brown, Serial No. 597,313, filed July 11, 1956, entitled Cluster Bomb Opening Method, and of common assignee with this application, thus releasing segmental elements 21 from their locked condition thereby allowing the submissiles to assume their proper positions in the pattern. 7

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A unitary assembly for use with an aerial launched bomb comprising a plurality of individual submissiles arranged in a cluster, each of said submissiles having a threaded portion integrally formed thereon in threaded engagement with the threaded portion of a neighboring submissile to provide an interlocking connection between each of said submissiles, a plurality of segmented members in engagement with the outermost submissiles of said cluster for maintaining said interlocking connection and means for normally maintaining said members in engagementwith said outermost submissiles.

2. A cluster of submissiles for use in a carrier missile adapted to be dropped froman aircraft in flight, including a plurality of mutually spaced submissile holding rings having a plurality of releasably locked segmental portions respectively, said rings extending circumferentially around said submissiles for normally retaining the submissiles in clustered relationship, threaded means on each of said submissiles in interlocking engagement with the threaded means on the neighboring submissilesof said cluster for rotatably supporting each of the inwardly positioned submissiles for independent rotation with respect to said neighboring submissiles and tubular means for retaining said rings circumferentially extendedaround said submissiles.

3. A cluster of submissiles for use in a carrier missile adapted to be dropped from an aircraft in flight, including a plurality of submissile holding rings in mutual spaced relation, a plurality of releasably locked segmental portions forming each of said rings, a locking device carried by each of said segmental portions respectively for releasably locking said segmentalportions, said rings extending circumferentially around the outermost submissiles of said cluster in engagement therewith for normally retaining the submissiles in clustered relationship, :squaretype screw threads on each of saidsubmissiles in interlocking engagement with the square-type screw threads on the neighboring submissiles of said cluster for releasably locking said submissiles individually and collectively against accidental displacement in response to a sudden shock and for allowing independent rotation of each of the inwardly positioned submissiles with respect to said neighboring submissiles, and a casing normally encircling said holding rings for maintaining said rings circumferentially extended around said outermost submissiles.

4. A clusterof submissiles for use in a carrier missile adapted to be dropped from an aircraft in flight, including a plurality of submissile holding rings in mutual spaced relation, a plurality of releasably locked segmental portions forming each of said rings, locking means for each of the segmental portions including a pin and recess for releasably locking said segmental portions, said rings extending circumferentially around the outermost submissiles of said cluster in engagement therewith for normally retaining the submissiles in-clustered relationship, squaretype screw threads on each of said submissiles in interlocking engagement with the square type threads on the neighboring submissiles of said cluster for releasably locking said submissiles individually and collectively against accidental displacement inresponse to a sudden shock and for allowing independent rotation of each of the inwardly positioned submissiles with respect to said neighboring submissiles, and a longitudinal casing normally contignously surrounding said holding rings for maintaining said rings circumferentially extended around said outermost submissiles.

5. Means for assembling and interlocking a cluster of submissiles within a larger carrier missile which comprises a plurality of segmented rings for holding the submissiles at the outer peripheryof said cluster, a threaded portion formedon each of said submissiles for interlocking the submissiles such that the innermost submissiles of said cluster are maintained fixed with respect to the submissiles at said outer periphery of the cluster thereby to constrain all of the submissiles against accidental displacement and a longitudinal casing normally contiguously encircling said' segmented rings.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,450,910 ORear Oct. 12, 1948 2,476,973 Gillon July 26, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 535,628 Great Britain Apr. 16, 1941 

1. A UNITARY ASSEMBLY FOR USE WITH AN AERIAL LAUNCHED BONB COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF INDIVIDUAL SUBMISSILES ARRANGED IN A CLUSTER, EACH OF SAID SUBMISILES HAVING A THREADED PORTION INTEGRALLY FORMED THEREON IN THREADED ENGAGEMENT WITH THE THREADED PORTION OF A NEIGHBORING SUBMISSILE TO PROVIDE AN INTERLOCKING CONNECTION BETWEEN EACH OF SAID SUBMISSILES, A PLURALITY OF SEGMENTED MEM- 